


A Baby of our Own

by Angel669



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas Fluff, M/M, Medical Conditions, Mpreg Harry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-11
Updated: 2014-12-11
Packaged: 2018-03-01 02:15:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2755796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel669/pseuds/Angel669
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry is pregnant! With the use of the latest medical technology, their baby will have genetic material from both Harry and Louis. Both are happy and excited to deliver their baby in the New Year. On Christmas Eve, however, Harry suddenly collapses, sending Louis into a panic, wondering if they haven't made a terrible mistake...</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Baby of our Own

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chelseafrew](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseafrew/gifts).



> I want to thank chelseafrew for the wonderful prompts. It was hard to pick one, because they were all fantastic. I hope you enjoy the story!

_**A Baby of Our Own** _

 {Christmas Eve 2017}

Louis carried the heavy cardboard box into the living room and put it on the coffee table, nearly knocking off Harry's gingerbread-scented candle centre piece.

"This is the last one," he said. He flopped down on the couch and took a sip of his egg nog. "I can't believe that in only seven years together we managed to collect this huge amount of Christmas ornaments."

Harry gave him an apologetic smile. He was halfway up a ladder, an arm full of tinsel, putting the finishing touches on their sparkling, glittering pine. "My fault, mostly. I totally went overboard this year."

Louis couldn't suppress a fond smile. "I know what you mean. So hard to pass by any of those cute _Baby's First_ _Christmas_ decorations."

Harry slowly climbed down the ladder. He rubbed his melon-shaped belly and pouted. "And now he's not even going to be here in time!"

Louis shrugged. At their last ultrasound, Dr Winston had decided that their baby boy needed 'to bake a little longer,' as he so jovially put it, and then set back the date for the delivery after New Year's. Louis felt a bit cynical about the delay, but Harry could not be convinced that the good doctor's vacation plans in the Swiss Alps had anything to do with it.

"We can always use those decorations next year, babe," he said. "They're not going to go bad."

Harry laughed at that, as though Louis had made the funniest joke in the world. He bent over at the waist, steadying himself on his knees, grinning up at Louis. Then he bit down on his lower lip and frowned. His eyes widened as he clutched his belly. He went deathly pale and gracefully collapsed on the carpet.

"Harry?" Louis was on his feet and next to his husband in a frantic blur. He carefully rolled Harry onto his side and felt for his pulse. He couldn't find it right away and quit, too agitated and impatient. Instead he fished his mobile out of his trouser pocket and speed-dialled the hospital. He wondered if Dr Winston had already left for Switzerland. The first baby to be carried by a man couldn't be delivered by any old intern who might not know the baby's head from his bum.

Luckily everyone at the hospital knew Harry, not just as a celebrity, but as a _pregnant male_ celebrity. Making medical history, as Dr Winston always said. Well, Louis didn't give a fuck about fame or history, not with Harry on the floor, possibly without a pulse.

Louis wasn't sure how coherent his explanation was, but the nurse on the other end of the line promised that an ambulance was on its way and implored him to stay calm. Yeah, right. How and why should he be calm when his love lay there so eerily still, like Snow White before the kiss. Trembling, Louis crouched closer and cradled Harry's head in his hands.

"Stay with me," he whispered. Twin teardrops fell on Harry's cheeks, as if he were crying as well. "I can't lose you now. This is supposed to be our happily ever after." His voice cracked and he lowered his head to sob into Harry's luscious curls, wondering if they had stretched their good fortune to the breaking point, if asking for the moon as well as the stars had been too greedy, and now they'd have to pay the price.

After Louis sat for an eternity in hell, the ambulance finally arrived. With quick efficiency, the paramedics packed Harry into their van, lights flashing, bundled Louis into a rough blanket next to his husband, and off they went. Sirens howling all the way, and Louis wondering why he had ever let Harry talk him into this.

 

{ _Nine Months Earlier_ }

Louis fidgeted in his seat. They had been in Dr Winston's office for hours now, listening to him describe the procedures that he had developed and refined to perfection during the last decade or two. Louis wasn't paying all that much attention, because it was mostly just boring medical jargon mixed with Winston's supercilious self-praise. He looked up when Harry spoke, though.

"What are the risks, then, I mean...since you've never actually done this on a human before."

Louis's stomach somersaulted. He instinctively disliked the idea that Harry was to be a guinea pig. Even if Harry didn't seem to mind.

"Well." Dr Winston, sitting on the other side of his wide desk, rocked his leather chair back, hands on his belly. "There are risks in any pregnancy, but that hasn't stopped women from having children since the dawn of man, has it?" He added a Santa-like laugh, as jolly as it was fake.

Louis scowled. He couldn't care less about all of womankind combined, his only concern was for Harry. For his health and safety, his happiness. He leaned forward. "But Harry doesn't have a uterus, yeah? Didn't you say something earlier about the birth being tricky, and that there's chances of internal bleeding?"

Dr Winston gave Louis a long look. "We have a superb team of doctors here at the Portland hospital and we will be monitoring our Harry closely throughout the pregnancy. He'll be our number one priority." He smiled benevolently. "And tricky doesn't necessarily mean dangerous. We will be prepared for any conceivable emergency. I would never recommend this procedure to you if I didn't have full confidence that we'll end up with both a healthy baby and Daddy."

Harry smiled at Louis so widely that his dimples deepened impossibly. The brightness of his green eyes could have lit up all of London in a power outage. This was his dream, a baby of his own. And even better: Dr Winston's experimental new procedure used DNA from both of them, so the baby would have characteristics from both Dads. It was an enthralling idea, even to Louis, who would have just as happily adopted any child available. A ready-made-off-the-street one, if you will, rather than this expensive, complicated designer baby. Costs obviously didn't matter, but Louis had the suspicious feeling that the words _internal_ _bleeding_ would come to haunt his nights.

 

{Christmas Eve 2017}

When they arrived at the hospital, a bunch of nurses and doctors had assembled to take over from the paramedics. Harry was still unconscious. Louis clung tightly to the gurney's metal rail. No way would he allow the medical staff to whisk Harry away from him. A young nurse in pink scrubs approached him, but when Louis didn't stop, she just jogged alongside him. One of the doctors wheeled Harry's gurney into an elevator, and the rest of the team squeezed in beside it.

"Where are they taking him?" Louis asked. His voice was scratchy, but he was shocked he could speak at all. "Where's Dr Winston? What happened to Harry?" _Is it internal bleeding_? added the little voice in his head. _It is, isn't it?_

The pink-clad nurse, whose name tag said Stella, laid a gentle hand on Louis's arm. "We prepared one of the ORs for Harry. Dr Winston was at the airport, on his way to Switzerland, but we caught him just in time. He'll be here any moment. And I called Harry's mother. She's also on her way."

Vaguely, Louis realized that he should contact his own mum as well. But he felt numb and cold. Later, he decided. His hands shook too much to press those tiny buttons right now anyway. And what could his mom do, what could any of them do now? Louis should have taken everyone's advice and follow his instincts when there still had been time. But Louis had been foolish and weak, and too focused on the happiness in those green eyes. And now it was too late.

 

{ _Six Months Ago_ }

The June day was picture perfect. Warm and sunny, not a cloud in the sky. The caterers had set up one long table near the pool, under shading tents. Harry had insisted on using the _good china_ , the set they had received as a wedding present from the Azoffs. He had demanded that Louis dress up, and Louis had put up some mock resistance, but he didn't really mind. Harry himself was wearing a fluttery loose blouse and stretchy shorts, even though he wasn't really showing yet.

Best friends and family, as far as they could make it, arrived on time for a delicious light lunch. Afterwards, the kids raced around the lawn, while the adults had coffee and tea and continued their conversation. Louis could tell that Harry was getting antsy.

He leaned close to his love and whispered in his ear. "Now?"

Harry nodded so wildly, his curls went flying. Two feverish spots blushed on his cheeks and he bit down on his lip to keep from smiling. Louis squeezed his hand, then rose. He clinked a spoon to his beer bottle until he had everyone's attention. He raised his eyebrows at Harry and blew him a kiss.

Harry scrambled to his feet. "We have some news we wanted to share with all of you today," he began. He glanced back at Louis, and he looked so radiant, his happiness just oozing out of every pore of him, that it took Louis's breath away. Harry turned back to all the expectant faces before him.

"We're pregnant," he said. "We'll have a baby of our own by Christmas." He sat back down as everybody spoke at once, demanding more information.

Gemma leaned across the table, a deep line digging into her forehead. "Who did you get for a surrogate, then? Is she here?" She glanced suspiciously over to the Tomlinson clan, as if Harry had roped in one of Louis's little sisters for the job. _Eeeew_.

"No surrogate," Harry exclaimed, rubbing his still flat tummy. "I'm growing my own." Gemma laughed uneasily, while the rest of the table went quiet.

"You didn't." Anne dropped her cake fork, which clanked onto her plate, as she stared at her son. "Please tell me you didn't, Harry." Her voice trembled, and when Harry didn't answer, she put her head in her hands and began to cry. Robin put his arm around her and rubbed her back.

"You had that mad scientist implant a baby in your body?" Gemma shook her head, disbelief and disgust mingling on her face. Then she glared at Louis. "And you _let_ him?" Her anger and disappointment stung Louis like a slap in the face.

Harry looked near tears. "It's safe, Mum, I promise." Louis put his arm around Harry's waist, as though he could protect him from the shocked and horrified expressions aimed at them.

"Dr Winston has worked for a long time on male pregnancy, and we believe that he can do it," Louis said. "It's our only chance of having a baby that's biologically related to both of us. And Harry wanted to carry our baby himself. Why should we not want what so many other young couples want, something they take for granted. And after all, it's not so very different from women getting medical help with fertility problems."

"Only Harry's not a woman," Gemma said. "And if you'd only asked, I would have gladly carried your baby. I could even have donated an egg, and then the baby would still have been related to both of you." She shook her head, then pushed away from the table and stalked off. She left a broody silence behind.

Then Niall got up from his chair, went to Harry and gave him a big hug. "Congratulations, guys," he said in a low voice. He stole Louis's chair and began asking Harry all kinds of questions about the pregnancy, which effectively cheered Harry up. With a sigh, Louis went over to Anne, who was still crying. His own mum sat next to her, talking to her while gently rubbing her arm.

But what do you say to your mother-in-law after you put her only son in danger?

 

{Christmas Eve 2017}

In the operating room, the medical team hooked Harry up to an array of tubes leading to beeping, blinking machines. After they decked Louis out with the required scrubs and mask, they shooed him off to the side, out of the way, while they prepared gleaming instruments on trays.

"Louis!" Anne, hidden under the hair-covering cap and face mask, rushed to his side. Her brown eyes were wide. "How are you holding up?"

Louis had expected questions about Harry, felt he deserved anger and reproach. Instead his mother-in-law wrapped him into her arms. Sudden tears tightened his throat. But he couldn't let himself cry, because that meant he had given up hope. It was too late for many things, but it wasn't too late for hope. Not yet. It couldn't be.

"Baby's heart rate's way up," a nurse said, her clear voice ringing through the room. "It's in distress. Where the hell is Dr Winston?"

An older doctor with glasses frowned at the monitors. "We can't wait any longer. Let's put him under now."

 

{ _Three Months Ago_ }

They had just come back from an ultrasound appointment. Harry had to get them done at least once a week, and Louis usually accompanied him. Several weeks ago, they had discovered that they were having a little boy, and today the images had been unusually clear, with the baby moving around and apparently waving to them. It had finally hit them that this was real, their dream was coming true, and they were going to be parents. A family.

Harry lay back on the bed, the ultrasound picture in his hand. Louis snuggled up to him from the side. "I think he has your smile," he said. His hand slid over the rounding belly. Harry felt the baby kick all the time, but every time Louis put his hands on Harry's stomach all grew quiet within. Bad timing, maybe, or else the baby was playing favourites already.

Harry's finger traced the baby's outline on the photo. "I think he has your chin."

"Yeah, right." Louis laughed. "Maybe he has your extra nipples, babe."

Harry smirked. "The way he tumbled around today, I believe he has your bratty attitude."

Louis half raised himself and planted one hand on each side of Harry's face, wiggling his eyebrows. "My what?" He gently lowered himself on top of Harry and playfully nipped at his earlobe.

Harry giggled and squirmed. " Your sassy, bossy, snooty..."

Louis suddenly froze. "What was that?"

"What?" Harry's green eyes looked concerned.

Louis felt it again. Harry's stomach kicked at his. He carefully slid off Harry and stared at the bump.

"You can't see it from the outside yet," Harry said. He took Louis's hand and gently put it on his belly, holding it in place. And then the baby did it again. It kicked hard into their hands, three times in a row.

"Oh," said Louis, suddenly smiling. "He's going to _love_ football."

 

{Christmas Eve 2017}

Harry was anaesthetized and his bump prepped for surgery, when Dr Winston finally burst through the doors, followed by a man with a handheld movie camera. Sudden rage washed over Louis. At one time, they had tentatively discussed with Ben the idea of filming the birth. But that had been about a planned birth, not this rushed, uncoordinated emergency mess, when everyone feared for Harry's life. This, for once, was not about the Winstons or their fame, but only about Harry and the baby. Louis grabbed Ben's arm and spun him around.

"Get out," he spat. "Right now, before I smash your face in with that camera of yours." Ben looked startled, especially when a couple of nurses joined them. One led Ben out of the room, the other guided Louis back to Anne.

"I'm so sorry about that Mr Tomlinson-Styles," she said. "Dr Winston will begin the surgery right away." They had moved a couple of large screens in front of Louis and Anne's chairs. Now all Louis could see were dark shadows moving ominously around Harry.

Anne took his hand. "It makes sense that we're not allowed to watch the surgery. I'd probably pass out." The small part of Anne's face that wasn't covered did in fact looked a greenish white, but that could have been just the awful lighting.

"I just want to know what's going on," Louis muttered. In the absence of information, his imagination went wild. Every time Dr Winston called "Suction!" Louis saw in his mind how they pumped blood out of Harry's stomach cavity, where it puddled and pooled around the organs. The baby floated amidst, drowned in Harry's blood.

Anne pulled her hand out of his grasp, and Louis realized he had been squeezing it much too hard. Irritable, he got to his feet. Why was is it suddenly so quiet out there? What was going on? _Harry_? Louis's heart clunked around in his chest. Please don't die, Harry, he thought. We're so close, so close to all we've ever wanted. Don't give up now.

A funny little bleating sound ended the silence. It sounded like a lost lamb, _bah-haha, wah-haha_ , a lamb looking for its mother. There were quiet cheers on the other side of the partition, a few people clapped. Dr Winston quieted them by mumbling something like, "not through the woods yet."

The bleating stopped as well, and Louis thought he would go mad if no one told him what was happening. "Hello?" he called, and when nobody answered he simply walked around the partition. This was his husband and his baby, after all, and Louis needed to be there for them.

Nurse Stella waved him over to a small station set up to the side. There was a lumpy, moving blanket and a nurse doing something to it with a suction tool. When she saw Louis, she lifted the bundle up and held it out to him. "How would you like to hold your son?"

Louis gulped. Carefully, he cradled the baby in his arms. Only the little face was visible, the rest was tightly swaddled up. "Aren't you the cutest," Louis said. He knew he should be elated, but he only felt numb with worry for Harry. The baby wriggled in the blanket until it had freed one tiny arm to wave about. Louis smiled. "My little wild child."

Dr Winston clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Nearly six pounds, not too shabby, I'd say. All things considered, of course."

Louis took a long calming breath, so no one would get hurt. "And Harry?"

Dr Winston laughed, sounding a bit like the crazy scientist Gemma always made him out to be. "Still don't trust me, do you, boy? Well, and that's fine, we have done the impossible this time."

"But how is he?" Louis asked, trying to control the impatience in his voice. "Can I see him now?"

"Oh, soon," Dr Winston said, distractedly, as a few of the other doctors approached him with questions of their own. "They are taking him to the recovery room right now, and he should wake up in a little while."

 _Should_ wake up. Louis wasn't sure if it was safe to relax yet. Still clutching his new baby, Louis looked around the now mostly deserted operating room. Stella put a hand on his arm.

"I'll take you to Harry, if you like," she said. Louis nodded, his eyes suddenly stinging with grateful tears.

The recovery room was only dimly lit. Harry was still hooked up to various machines. There was a large bandage over his abdomen. Louis sank into the chair by the bed. The baby in his arms made a funny little sound. Its eyes were wide and looking right at Louis. He rocked it a bit, wishing he could feel something more than a numb kind of dread. Shouldn't he be glad that the baby had made it? But his only thoughts were for the boy in the bed, lying there, so white and still.

Louis leaned forward, raising the baby. "Look, Harry." His voice was soft and a little scratchy. "Look what we made. A cute tiny baby boy." The baby waved his arm around, the other one still bound by its blanket, and said something like _bah_. Louis held it so the baby's arm touched Harry's face.

"Wake up, Harry. Your son wants to play with you." Louis suddenly wished that they had decided on a name before the birth. But Harry hadn't wanted to jinx it. As if sensing Louis's anxiety, the baby began to cry. Its face turned an alarming shade of red and the toothless mouth opened wide. The cry itself was oddly low and pitiful. Louis put his son on his shoulder and rubbed his back, murmuring little bits of nonsense.

Harry turned his head with a groan. His eyelids fluttered, then opened. Over the baby's head, their gazes connected, and Louis let out a long sigh of relief. "Want to meet our baby?"

 

{Christmas Day 2018}

The delicious smell of roast and pie filled the Tomlinson-Styles' home. Supper was laid out buffet style in the kitchen, and the guests helped themselves whenever they were hungry. They had a full house, because Harry had felt cheated out of the previous Christmas and wanted to make up for it. Most of their friends and family had been visiting all day, enjoying a relaxing holiday and helping prepare the feast.

Harry picked up his little Ian and pulled a blue ribbon out of his mouth. Ian protested loudly, but Harry quickly distracted him with one of his new toys. Zayn and Liam, cuddling on the couch, argued if it was, in fact, the baby's first Christmas, or if all those ornaments were telling lies. Liam said that since Ian had been born on Christmas Eve, it was technically now his second one.

"One day old doesn't count," insisted Zayn. "At one day, you can't eat anything, you can't open presents, and you can't even play with your gifts." Harry thought he had a point.

Louis brought Harry a plateful of food from the kitchen and squeezed beside him into the wide chair. Harry gave him a playful look. "I want to tell them now," he whispered. Louis's eyebrows rose dramatically, but he nodded his assent. He rose, grabbed two glasses and lightly clanked them together to get everyone's attention. When all eyes were on Louis, he smiled.

"Thank you all for celebrating today with us. You've all been a great support system to us during the pregnancy and after. Now Harry and I would like to take this opportunity to make an announcement."

Anne clutched at her throat. "Not again, Louis! That's not even funny." Other voices were rising in excited chatter. A chill ran down Louis's spine as he remembered the previous Christmas. Even a year later he still often sensed a thin, fragile veil around their happiness. After many frank talks with Dr Winston Louis knew that Harry had very nearly died that night. They would be crazy to tempt fate more than once. Especially since there were other ways to expand their family.

"Wait!" Louis shouted above the din. He gave Anne a grin and reassuring wink. "It's true, we are going to have another baby next year. But we decided that, while we're so lucky to have our little Ian, it's not worth the risk to have Harry go through another pregnancy. This time we're adopting!"


End file.
